The Beginning
by Thispiper
Summary: Shortly before his fifth birthday, and shortly after the full moon young Remus learns what prejudices are now pointed at him.


I looked around at the faces of my parents, they were staring at me sadly. I don't know why, I'm already feeling a lot better.

"Are you sure?" Tad asked, looking over at the healer, I looked too.

"I'm afraid so." The healer answered. He did not look sad, he looked like Leenie does when Mam makes her eat her peas.

I looked back at Tad, his jaw was tight and he looked like he was about to cry. When he saw me looking he turned and went to the window.

"I'll give you a moment to decide how to proceed." The healer said. I saw him leave out of the corner of my eye, but I kept looking at Tad.

After the door clicked shut I finally spoke the question that was hovering at the front of my mind. "What's a werewolf, Tad?"

I felt bad that I asked as soon as I did because Tad hung his head and his shoulders started shaking. I couldn't see his face, but I think he might've been crying. Mam stood up and walked over to Tad. She lay her hand on his arm and whispered something to him, I couldn't quite hear what she said.

Tad reached up and rubbed his face. He said something to Mam and then came and crouched down by my bed. He opened his mouth to talk, but closed it again.

After a little bit he finally said something. "A werewolf is a person that is infected with lycanthropy, which is a kind of sickness. When someone has lycanthropy they turn into a wolf when the full moon is up." He said. I didn't know what all the long words meant, but I think I understood most of it.

"Do I have li-can-thro-py?" I asked, being careful to pronounce the word right.

Tad nodded but didn't say anything.

"Will I get better?"

Tad shook his head again, this time he looked like he was trying not to cry again.

"Did the man who came in my window have li-can-thro-py?"

Tad looked up at me surprised. "What man."

"The man that came through my window. He went like this," I put my finger on my lips and made a quiet shh.

"What did he say?" Tad asked a little bit eagerly.

"He told me that if I screamed then he would hurt me really bad. And then he asked if I knew who he was and I shook my head. Then he told me that his name was, um, oh yah Fenrir Greyback and he told me he was there because you needed to learn something. And then he scratched my arm really hard and turned into a really big dog."

Tad stood up really quick and went back to the window and leaned against the frame, I think I said something wrong again.

Mam put her hand on Tad's arm again, but he moved away from her. Tad never does that. Mam muttered Tad's name but Tad just shook his head. Mam put her hand on his arm again but he turned and walked out of the room, Mam and I watched him go.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked. Mam walked over to my bed quickly.

"No sweetheart, you didn't say anything wrong." Mam said comfortingly.

"Then why was Tad mad at me?"

"He's not mad at you sweetheart."

"Then why'd he go outside."

Mam sighed. "He just needs a little bit of space to think, he'll be back soon." She said. I nodded, but didn't quite believe her.

Like Mam said Tad came back after a little bit, he was followed by the healer. The healer glanced at me but looked away quickly, the way he looked at me made me feel yucky; I don't think I like him.

"Have you decided?" He asked Mam and Tad stiffly.

"Decided what?" Mam asked, standing up sharply and walking next to Tad at the foot of my bed.

"Weather you will have it put down." The healer said, talking like it was obvious.

"Put…" Mam sputtered, she became really mad, madder than she was when I pushed leenie down the stairs. "He is a child not an animal, and he is not an it."

"Ma'am, I don't think you quite understand, it is a werewolf, it is not a child anymore, it is a monster." The healer said calmly. That just made Mam angrier.

"Perhaps we can discuss this elsewhere?" Tad cut in before Mam could say anything else.

"Why bother?" The healer said. "Why not show the monster what he is." He sneered, glancing my way again.

"My son is not a monster!" Mam hissed, Tad held her arm to keep her from going towards the healer. But I hardly noticed.

Was the healer right, am I a monster? I don't think I, but maybe I was wrong. I looked down at my hands and bit my lip to keep from crying. There was a little bit of blood on the edge of my bandage and I remembered the man that scratched me. Maybe the healer was right, the other werewolf seemed really scary, maybe I was a monster.

As I thought about it a big rock formed in my stomach and I started feeling really yucky. Tad picked me up and said something about home, but I didn't pay attention. When he said it was time to apparate I held his arm tightly, but the healer words kept repeating in my head; 'why not show the monster what it is'.

When Tad set me down on my bed I started crying. He asked me what was wrong but I ignored him and curled up in a ball, even though it made my shoulder hurt again. After a long time Tad left and after even longer I fell asleep, the healer's words still in my mind.

* * *

 **A/N Leenie (short for Selene) is one of my OC's, she's Remus' younger sister.**


End file.
